SAGE Honored as “Outstanding LGBT Advocacy/Service Organization” by the National Coalition for LGBT Health

The award honors an organization for its significant contributions to the health and well-being of LGBT communities in Washington, DC and across the United States.

[NEW YORK, NY]
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), the country’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults, today announced it has received the National Coalition for LGBT Health’s annual award for Outstanding LGBT Advocacy or Service Organization. The award acknowledges SAGE’s commitment to innovative services, successful advocacy and policy campaigns and resource development to address the issues important to LGBT older adults.

The award will be presented during the Coalition’s Annual Meeting on November 12, 2012 in Washington, DC.

“SAGE is honored to receive this award from the National Coalition for LGBT Health,” said SAGE Executive Director Michael Adams. “LGBT older people face significant health problems, exacerbated by a lifetime of discrimination and higher economic insecurity, among other factors—and SAGE’s services, advocacy and training have helped improve the health and well-being of many LGBT elders nationwide. This award brings much needed attention to the unique health and social challenges facing LGBT elders.”

The numbers of LGBT elders are expected to double in size over the next several decades, reaching more than 3 million by 2030. Despite their growing numbers, LGBT older people face a number of health disparities that are not often addressed by health care providers and policymakers. In addition, many LGBT elders delay care out of fear of discrimination from health providers, which means illnesses go undetected until crisis hits. A recent federally-funded study of more than 2,500 LGBT older adults nationwide found significant health disparities in areas such as obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis, cataracts, asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and more—disparities that are even more pronounced for LGBT elders of color and transgender elders.

SAGE work’s includes federal advocacy aimed at improving the health and well-being of LGBT older adults, such as working with members of Congress to ensure that LGBT elders are included in the Older Americans Act—the country’s leading vehicle for delivering services to older people nationwide, providing more than $2 billion annually in nutrition and social services. In addition, SAGE offers a number of health and wellness programs and services through The SAGE Center, the country’s first full-time LGBT senior center, and through its nationwide network of 23 affiliates. SAGE’s National Resource Center on LGBT Aging also features a wide array of multimedia health-related resources for aging providers, LGBT organizations and LGBT older adults.

“SAGE stands out as a champion of transforming lives and our larger community. We are pleased to be able to highlight the contributions SAGE has made in the effort to include and discuss the issues important to LGBT elders within the LGBT and larger progressive movement,” said Hutson W. Inniss, Executive Director, National Coalition for LGBT Health.

The National Coalition for LGBT Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of LGBT individuals and communities through public education, coalition building and advocacy that focus on research, policy, education and training. The Coalition established the award for Outstanding LGBT Advocacy and Service Organization to recognize organizations that have made extensive contributions to the health and well-being of LGBT communities in Washington, DC and across the United States. The theme for this year’s Coalition meeting is “Moving toward Health Equity-Transforming Lives, Transforming Communities.”

Learn more about the issues affecting LGBT older people online at sageusa.org/issues

SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) is the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, and provides training for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging. With offices in New York City, Washington, DC and Chicago, SAGE coordinates a growing network of 27 local SAGE affiliates in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at sageusa.org and lgbtagingcenter.org.